From Last to First

Whether you're there for the hats, the horses, or your own friendly wager — the Kentucky Derby is one of those events that just gets people talking. And this year's 152nd Run for the Roses? It did not disappoint.

I was mid-makeup when my husband hollered from the other room: "Oh no — a horse just got spooked and rolled over!" Then a minute later: "Oh man, they're scratching him!" And finally: "You better get in here right now."

I ran in just in time to watch one of the most incredible races I've ever seen.

We were tracking the leaders, watching the odds shift, talking about the creative names — and then, in that final stretch, I watched the very last horse start moving. Up. Up. Up. And WIN!

Golden Tempo — sitting dead last early in the race — charged down the outside of the stretch to win at 23-1 odds. And the storylines kept stacking up:

-> Dead last to first place — in a field of 18 horses -> Brothers on the podium — Jose Ortiz rode the winner, and his brother Irad Ortiz Jr. finished second aboard Renegade -> History made — Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer ever to win the Kentucky Derby

I'm not embarrassed to tell you that I've watched the replay at least 10 times.

And I can't stop thinking about the lessons packed into those two minutes:

🏇 Dream BIG 🏇 Work HARD 🏇 Don't SETTLE 🏇 Cheer LOUDLY 🏇 Celebrate BOLDLY

Don't let starting in last place define where you think you'll finish.

If you feel like you're falling behind, keep your eyes on the horse in front of you — and close the gap. Ask yourself:

• What are they doing that I can learn from?

• What small adjustments can I make right now?

• How do I need to shift my mindset?

  
  

For me, building my own business has been equal parts thrilling and terrifying. But watching Golden Tempo come from nowhere and win reminded me of something simple and important: don't give up!

DeVaux said it best after the race: "I'm glad I can be a representative of all women everywhere that we can do anything we set our minds to."

Reading that bulleted list one more time. 👆